Clarinet mouthpiece



July 22, 1930. P.JARTHUR 1,771,157

CLARINET MOUTHPIECE v Filed March 28. 1924 /Dalyf /rf/flar ga/@infor Patented July 22, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE lIALU'I' ARTHUR, OP WHORE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO FRANK BOLTON & C0., OF

1 BLKHOBJT, im .L CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS Gunnar mournrmca yApplication led March 28, 1924. Serial No. 702,486.

This invention relates to mouthpieces for clarinets and other rwind instruments, and has for its object the provision of such a device whichshall be economical to manufacture, accurate in shape and acoustic properties, attractive in appearance, and which shall be of improved construction and operation.

The invention is exemplified in the combination and arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying drawing and described in the following specification, and it is more particularly pointed out in the appended Claims.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is an elevation of a clarinet mouthpiece embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the mouthpiece shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section on line 3-3 of F1g. 2.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section on line 4--4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a transverse section on line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

In the manufacture of ymouthpieces for clarinets and similar instruments it is desirable to have the tone cavity within the mouthpiece accurately shaped and also to have the outer face or surface covered with a nonmetallic substance which shall be attractive in appearance and in keeping with the finish of the remaining portion of the instrument. It has been found that the interior of the mouthpiece can be most economicall and accurately formed from metal by suita le forming processes as by die casting. It has also been discovered that phenolic condensation products such as that manufactured under the trade name of Bakelite constitutes a desirable surface material. The present invention provides means for securing the beneficial results of the interior metal portion with a covering of a phenolic condensate for the outside.

In the drawing the numeral 10 designates the interior portion of the mouthpiece, which may be formed of suitable metal b means of die casting. The main body portlon 11 is a relatively thin wall and is provided with an opening 12 which registers with the reed in the usual manner. A thickened portion 13 isr provided at one side of the inner shell 10 adjacent the opening 12 which forms a sup,- porting surface for the reed. At the sides of the thickened portion 13 there are provided projections 14, which serve both as retainers for the phenolic condensate cover and as indices for properly'positioning the reed relative to the opening 12. The reeds may be or projection 17 may be provided at the tip of the mouthpiece to protect the edge ofthe henoliccondensate and to assist in holding 1t kin place. An abutting flange 18 of metal is provided adjacent the opposite end of the mouthpiece and the thickenedv portion13 provides a protecting shoulder for the edge .portions of the phenolic condensate adjacent 'the reed. It is thus seen that at no place is the edge of the phenoliccondensate exposed. This prevents danger of separation between the phenolic condensate and themetal and also protects the edge from injury. `The portion 19 of the mouthpiece which enters the clarinet tube is not coveredwith phenolic Lcondensate, but may be provided with the kusual recess 20 for receiving a band of cork or similar packing material for making the'necessary joint etween themouthpiece and the clarinet tube. Since the surface of the por--y tion 13 is covered by the reed it will be apparent that the only metal exposed when the mouthpiece is in place is the thin protecting rim 15 and 18 about the edge of the phenolic e condensate.

Obviously those skilled in the art may make various changes in the details and arrangemeint of parts without departing from the Spirit and scope of the invention as deiini by the claims hereunto annexed, and I wishf therefore not to be restricted to the precise construction herein disclosed.

Having thus fuliv df cribed my invention, what I claim as neiv and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the Unite-.fl States l. A mouthpiece for wind instruments comprising a hollow cast metal core member, and an outer covering of non-metallic material molded about said core member.

2. A mouthpiece for a wind instrument comprising a hollow core member provided with an elongated opening, said core member having a thickened portion registering with the end of said opening for supporting a reed in position to project over said opening, there being integral lateral projections on said thickened portions to provide indices for positioning a reed thereon, and a covering of non-metallic materal fitted about said core member and abutting against the lateral edges of said thickened portion.

3. A mouthpiece for a wind instrument comprising a one-piece integrally formed hollow metal core member, and a covering of phenolic condensate molded on said core member.

4. A mouth piece for wind instruments comprising a hollow one-piece integrally formed core member having an opening therein, and a thickened portion providing a seat for supporting a reed in position to extend over said opening, Said thickened portion having a lateral projection serving as an index for positioning said reed, and a cover of phenolic condensate fitted about said core member and having edges abutting against the lateral edges of said thickened portion.

5. A mouthpiece for a wind instrument comprising a cast metal core member provided with a longitudinal recess and a laterally directed opening communicating with said recess, said core member having a thickened portion registering with said opening to form a support for a reed, a covering of phenolic condensate fitted about said core member and having its edges abutting against the lateral edges of said thickened portion, said thickened portion being extended adjacent the sides of said opening to form a continuation of the lateral edges of said thickened portion to provide a protecting flange for the edges of said phenolic condensate covering, and langes adjacent the ends of said mouthpiece to form protecting shoulders or the ends of said phenolic condensate covering.

6. A mouthpiece for a wind instrument comprising a hollow metal core member having a longitudinal recess open axially at one end and laterally at the opposite end, said core member having a thickened portion registering longitudinally with said opening to form a support for a. reed, said thickened portion having substantially radially directed sides to provide overhanging shoulders for retaining a covering in place on the outer surface of said core member and having laterally extending projections on said overhanging shoulders to constitute indices for positioning a reed on said thickened portion and to form retaining projections for said covering, said core member also having a circumterential tia-nge at the end of said thickened portion to provide a support for said covering and a phenolic condensate covering fitted upon said core member to conform to the outer surface thereof and contacting with said iange and overhan ing shoulders, the surface of said covering eing flush with the outer edges of said shoulders and flange.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification on this 18 day of March A. D. 1924.

v PAUL ARTHUR. 

